Small Business

Small Business

Ishana Shekhawat, a Penn State graduate student and entrepreneur, launched a startup this summer with the help of Happy Valley LaunchBox, a no-cost business accelerator and coworking space sponsored by Invent Penn State.

Thinking small and local, not big and global, may help communities ignite long-term economic growth, according to Penn State economists. Small, locally owned businesses and start-ups tend to generate higher incomes for people in a community than big, non-local firms, which actually can depress local economies, said Stephan Goetz, professor of agricultural and regional economics at Penn State.

Last fall, three Centre County friends were discussing the idea of transforming their passion for riding bicycles into a business opportunity. With the assistance of the Penn State Small Business Development Center, the three decided on a unique business model for Central Pennsylvania: a bicycle touring business targeting women.